Even without the sensational Ding Meiyuan, who is a mystery omission from the squad, the powerlifters are still a formidable force - and multiple golds are likely Since taking Sydney by storm four years ago, China's weightlifters are expected to be heaving more glory. China won five gold medals in Sydney, four of which were won by all four of their women and the Chinese weightlifting team look unstoppable again, especially after their performance at last November's World Championships in Vancouver, Canada, where they took 21 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals. Chinese weightlifting authorities delayed the announcement of their Olympic team to the Games until just recently, with Ding Meiyuan's omission the biggest surprise. Ding twice broke the women's over-75kg snatch world record en route to winning three gold medals in Vancouver and looked in good form. She was also the youngest Olympic weightlifting champion in history in Sydney at just 20 years of age. That Ding could reach the pinnacle of her chosen discipline at such a young age is remarkable in a sport where mature bones and muscles are often better suited to coping with the stress placed on the body by lifting such huge masses. Ding has been replaced by Tang Gonghong for reasons that are unclear. The other surprise was 19-year-old Wang Mingjuan, the two-time defending world champion at 48kg, who has also been left out. She has been replaced by Li Zhuo, who beat Wang before this spring's Asian Championships. Li set world records in both the snatch and the clean and jerk in September, but Wang won the World Championship two months later. Because no country can enter athletes in more than four of the seven classes in Olympic weightlifting, China have been forced to leave out several former Olympic and multiple world champions for Athens. But there's still so much talent. Chinese strongwoman Kong Xiangling could be one to watch in Athens after she lifted 120kgs in the snatch to set a new world record of 118.5kgs in the 75kg class at the National Weightlifting Championships in April in Changsha. And there's Liu Chunhong, 18, who has burst on to the scene in the last couple of years and already owns 13 world records, despite being just 18 years old. Last year, she broke the 69kg class women's world record five times at the World Championships. But the real story in Athens could be Zhan Xugang, who will be attempting his third gold in consecutive Olympics in the men's 77kg weight category. The 30-year-old lifter from Zhejiang was Olympic champion in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney four years ago and remains one of the favourites for the title in Athens despite his less than impressive show at last year's World Championships. Zhan is on the comeback trail after taking a one-year hiatus from training last year due to injury. In June, the Chinese weightlifting team left Beijing for Anhui on a four-week, closed-door training up in the mountains to fine-tune their training for Athens. Among the 60-plus members were veteran Zhan, world champion Wu Meijin and Zhang Guozheng as well as several women medal hopefuls, including world champions Wang Mingjuan and Tong Gonghong. Wang Guoxin, vice head coach of the Chinese weightlifting team, explained that the Chinese team had intensified their training schedule with the Olympics looming. All equipment, including the Uesaka-brand barbells that will be used in Athens, was transported to Anhui, which has a special training centre and is situated some 840 metres above sea level. Wang said: 'We want our weightlifters to be in tip-top condition and training at such high altitude would do them some good. We are looking for gold medals and even world records. This is our biggest test but we are hopeful of winning a few gold medals. 'Our team are in good spirits and we will travel to Athens in our best possible shape,' he said. Last summer, five to six strongmen improved their personal bests during the closed-door training in the Dabieshan mountains, according to Chen, who is hoping for a similar performance in Athens. Another well-known weightlifter won't be going to Athens. Shang Shichun, a gold medallist at last year's World Championships, received a two-year ban for failing a drugs test. Her punishment was handed down by the China Weightlifting Association recently. Shang, who set three world records at the championships, was also ordered to pay a 5,000 yuan fine. 'The China Weightlifting Association forbids doping, strictly conducts testing and seriously handles all doping related issues,' director Ma Wenguang said. 'China's weightlifting athletes should show their real best at the Athens Olympics and be completely clean when they participate.' The ban, from all domestic and international competition, was effective from last November when Shang failed a drugs test. Her victory in the 75kg category and three world records have been nullified. Shang's coach Jiang Xuehui was banned for a year and handed a fine of 5,000 yuan as well.